Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity Conservation Examples of a few well-known National Parks are Corbett National Park, Kanha National Park, Simlipal National Park, Gir National Park and Kaziranga National Park.Examples of a few well-known National Parks are Corbett National Park, Kanha National Park, Simlipal National Park, Gir National Park and Kaziranga National Park.Examples of a few well-known National Parks are Corbett National Park, Kanha National Park, Simlipal National Park, Gir National Park and Kaziranga National Park.

Conservation is the proper management of natural resources, to retain the balance in nature and diversity. It also includes wise use of natural resources in a way that the needs of the present generation are fulfilled and at the same time have enough for the future generations. Conservation of biodiversity is important for:
- Preventing the loss of genetic diversity of a species,
- Saving a species from becoming extinct, and
- Protecting ecosystems damage and degradation.
Conservation efforts can be divided into the following two categories:
- In-situ conservation includes the protection of plants and animals within their natural or protected areas. Protected areas are land or sea dedicated to protecting and maintain biodiversity.
- Ex-situ refers to conservation of plants and animals outside their natural habitats. These include botanical gardens, zoos, gene banks, seed banks, tissue culture and cryopreservation.
In-situ conservation
Habitat Protection: The main strategy for species conserve is the protection of habitats in representative ecosystems. The established natural habitats are:
- National parks
- Sanctuaries
- Biosphere reserves
- Reserved forests
- Protected forests
National Parks:
- IUCN (1975) defined national park as a relatively large area where one or several ecosystems are not altered by human exploitation and occupation, where plant and animal species, geomorphological sites and habitats are of special scientific, educative, and re-creative interest or which contains a natural landscape of great beauty.
- The Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA) of 1972 provided for the declaration of National Parks by the State Government.
- There are 104 existing national parks in India covering an area of 40501.13 sq. km, which is 1.23% of the geographical area of the country.
- Examples of a few well-known National Parks are Corbett National Park, Kanha National Park, Simlipal National Park, Gir National Park and Kaziranga National Park.

Wildlife Sanctuaries:
- The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 has a provision that State Government can declare certain areas as wildlife sanctuaries if the area were thought to be of adequate ecological and natural significance.
- A wildlife sanctuary is also dedicated to wildlife protection. However, its conservation is species-oriented, and its boundary is not limited by state legislation.
- There are 553 wildlife sanctuaries in India.
- Examples of various sanctuaries are Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (established in 1940 around an artificial lake), Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana- second habitat in the world that is visited by the Siberian Cranes in winter), Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary and Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary.

Biosphere Reserves:
- Biosphere reserves are undisturbed of biological diversity and genetic integrity of animals, plants, and microorganisms in their totality.
- To carry out the activities of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, biosphere reserves are traditionally grouped into 3 interrelated zones, known as:
  - The core area: It is fully protected and natural area of the Biosphere Reserve least disturbed by human activities. It is a legally protected ecosystem in which entry is not allowed except with permission for some special purpose. Destructive sampling for scientific investigations is prohibited.
  - The buffer zone: It basically, surrounds the core zone and is managed to accommodate a greater resource use strategies, research, and educational activities.
  - The transition zone or ‘area of cooperation’: the outermost part of the Biosphere Reserve, is an area of active engagement between the reserve management and the locals, where activities like settlements, cropping, forestry, recreation, and other economic activities are in harmony with the conservation goals.

- The main functions of the biosphere reserves are:
  - Conservation: Long term conservation of representatives, landscapes, and different types of ecosystems, along with all their species and genetic resources.
  - Development: Encourages traditional resource use and promotes economic which is culturally, socially, and ecologically sustainable.
  - Scientific research, monitoring, and education: Support conservation research, monitoring, education, and information exchange related to local, national, and global environmental and conservation issues.

- Presently, 18 notified biosphere reserves are there in India. Tweleve biosphere reserves
  are a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man
  and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.

Tiger Reserves:

Critical ‘tiger’ habitats (CTHs), also called as core areas of tiger reserves—are identified under the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), 1972. Such regions are required to be kept as inviolate for the purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) or such other forest dwellers. The notification of CTH is done by the state government in consultation with the expert committee established for the purpose.

Reserved and Protected Forests:

Broadly speaking, reserved, protected and unclassed are the three major legal classes of forest in India. A legal notification in a government gazette under Indian Forest Act ,1927 creates or defines the boundaries of “reserved and “protected” forests in India. These forest by definition are owned by government of “Public” at large. The rest of forests areas recorded in government land records as forests are called un-classed forests. The status of their ownership and control varies among various States in India.

Terms	Definition
Reserved Forest	Any forest land or waste land or any other land, not being land for the time bring comprised in any holding or in any village abadi, which is the property of Government or over which the Government has proprietary rights, or to the whole or any part of the forest produce of which the Government is entitled, and which is notified in government gazette as “reserve forest” under relevant section of Indian forest Act. Explanation: In such forest, most of the activities are prohibited unless allowed.
Protected Forests	Any forest land or waste-land or any other land, which is not included in a reserved forest, but which is the property of Government, or over which the Government has proprietary rights, or to the whole or any part of the forest- produce of which the Government is entitled, and which is notified in government gazette as “protected forest” under relevant sections of Indian Forest Act. Explanation: In such forest, most of the activities are allowed unless prohibited.
Unclassed Forests	Any forest land or waste land or any other land “recorded” in land records as “forest” but not notified in government gazette as “reserved” or “protected” forests under Indian Forest Act.

Terms

Definition

Reserved Forest

Any forest land or waste land or any other land, not being land for the time bring comprised in any holding or in any village abadi, which is the property of Government or over which the Government has proprietary rights, or to the whole or any part of the forest produce of which the Government is entitled, and which is notified in government gazette as “reserve forest” under relevant section of Indian forest Act.

Explanation: In such forest, most of the activities are prohibited unless allowed.

Protected Forests

Any forest land or waste-land or any other land, which is not included in a reserved forest, but which is the property of Government, or over which the Government has proprietary rights, or to the whole or any part of the forest- produce of which the Government is entitled, and which is notified in government gazette as “protected forest” under relevant sections of Indian Forest Act.

Explanation: In such forest, most of the activities are allowed unless prohibited.

Unclassed Forests

Any forest land or waste land or any other land “recorded” in land records as “forest” but not notified in government gazette as “reserved” or “protected” forests under Indian Forest Act.

Biodiversity Conservation